D Magazine ⋅ April 2008

Review: Patrizio

People went a little nuts when Ed Bailey—more famous for his McDonald’s franchises than for fine dining—bought a majority interest of Patrizio and jacked up the price of the beloved crab claws (current price: $23.98). Ironically, those crab claws may be the priciest item on the menu, whereas once upon a time, they were probably the cheapest. But we don’t care about the crab claws. What we do care about is the fact that you can still get a delightful meal at Patrizio, and you won’t drop a bundle in the process.

Under the direction of Darron Derosa, the food still (mostly) shines. Any of the salads, with always-fresh mixed greens or spinach and scrumptious ingredients like hearts of palm, toasted pine nuts, and plump little tomatoes, makes a hearty lunch or a fine starter if split in two. Instead of crab claws, order the fried goat cheese. Your taste buds will thank you when the crisp coating gives way to the warm, slightly pungent center. Delish.

Your taste buds will not, however, thank you for the chicken and mushroom lasagna with smoked Gouda, which was, for lack of a better word, tasteless. Neither of the two sauces—one marinara, one alfredo, and so pretty together on the plate—could rescue the layered pasta dish. The nicest thing to say about it is that it held its shape through many hacks. Infinitely better was the conchiglie con pollo. We loved the well-seasoned and moist bit of grilled chicken and the pop—of color and in our mouths—of peas. Plus, each little shell of pasta cradled just the right amount of cream sauce. This was one of the many hearty pasta dishes on the menu that ring in at less than 12 bucks. So, we ask, who needs those crab claws?